Lost Answers
by Shesta
Summary: Finally being updated again! Welcome back to old viewers and hello to new ones! It's almost time for graduation and Kyou has two major problems to sort out: Tohru and Yuki. A KyouxTohru fic. Please RR.
1. Prologue

I'm reformatting the entire _Lost Answers _story as well as fixing some continuity and grammar issues. After all formatted chapters are added, I'll start adding new ones. Enjoy!

-

_Lost Answers: Prelude_

_-_

"OOOOOOOOOOI! Kyon-Kyon, wait up!" A uniform clad boy with short, black hair ran after Kyou. Kyou mumbled and turned. He hadn't stepped two feet from school and was already irritated. Kyou dropped his backpack on the ground as the boy ran up to him, "Man, you walk fast! I had to run from the second floor when I heard you were already leaving, Kyon-Kyon."

"Oi, Shinji," Kyou mumbled, "I told you not to call me Kyon-Kyon."

"But it's fun to have a nickname! You can call me Shin-Shin if you want," Shinji smiled, "Oh yeah, the reason I had to catch you… We're still studying together for the exit exam, right?"

"Ah…" Kyou mumbled, "I just have to go home and remind Shigure that I won't be home until late."

"Yeah, about that," Shinji looked at his feet, "My mom had to leave town and she doesn't like me being home alone, especially with friends over," Shinji smiled, "Funny, huh? Here we are about to graduate, and my mom doesn't like me being home alone."

"What's your point?" Kyou picked up his backpack and looked at Shinji. It had taken him until his senior year to find a good friend. He didn't like to admit it, but he was glad to have Shinji around.

"Can I stay over at your house? It's just for one night. I have no relatives around here and no money for a hotel room," Kyou could tell Shinji was nervous about asking. He had admitted to Kyou a while back that the Sohma family freaked him out pretty badly, so asking to stay at a Sohma house was obviously difficult to ask, "I don't really have any other friends that have large enough houses to hold a spare person, and I wouldn't have asked you except you're my best friend and I know your uncle or cousin or whatever he is, is really laid back… So I figured he'd be less likely to say no about somebody staying with you right before a big test and I just…"

"Shut up," Kyou growled, "You don't have to be so nervous about asking. And I know you're nervous because you only go into those long, stupid stories when you are. Just come home with me and I'll ask Shigure."

Shinji smiled, "Okay. And if I do get to stay over, maybe I can help you get the courage to tell that girl you like her."

"What?" Kyou jumped and dropped his bag, "I… I don't know what…"

"Kyou-kun!" Kyou stopped and looked over Shinji's shoulder. Tohru ran up to them and smiled, "Kyou-kun, I'm glad you're still here! Do you want to walk home together? Yuki-kun told me you were just leaving, so I should catch you and… Oh," Tohru noticed Shinji, "Ah…?"

Shinji looked at the blushing Kyou and smirked. He turned to Tohru, "I'm Shinji. Harahoku Shinji," he smiled at Tohru.

"Ah… Harahoku-san? I'm Honda Tohru. You're in our class, right?" Tohru seemed embarrassed not to know for sure.

"Yes. And you can call me Shinji. I was just on the way to Kyou's house to study for the exam. Would you join us?" Shinji smirked at Kyou again.

"Ah… I…," Tohru stammered.

"Tohru was on her way to my house anyways," Kyou interrupted, "I was going to tell you before, but didn't get a chance. I asked her to study with us already."

"Ah…," Tohru smiled.

"Good! Then it's settled," Shinji smiled, "Ah, Kyou, could I ask you something privately for a second?"

Tohru smiled, "I'll wait by the gate then," Kyou watched as she walked away.

"I think I just solved a mystery," Shinji looked pleased with himself.

"What?" Kyou blinked.

"Tohru? You only call people by their names if they're related to you or you _really_ like them," Shinji patted Kyou's head.

"Not necessarily," Kyou smirked, "I call you Shinji, don't I?"

"Well, there are always exceptions to every rule. But this is the perfect opportunity to tell her, isn't it? She'll be in your house. I'll even go to the bathroom on command," Shinji laughed, "Let's make a code. When you're ready to tell her say, 'Wow, this is fun.' When I hear the code, I'll excuse myself to use the bathroom."

"You're an idiot," Kyou mumbled, "But I will give you a special signal." Kyou flipped Shinji off and, with a smirk, walked towards Tohru.

"Ah, now, that was just cold, Kyon-Kyon!" Shinji chased after.

"Ah! Kyou-kun!" Tohru smiled, "are you ready to go?"

"Ah… mm…" Kyou nodded. He turned and began walking. Tohru followed, close by his side.

"OIIIII! Kyon! That's rude leaving me behind like that!" Shinji stumbled after them.


	2. The Missed Chance

Ah! I've gotten such a good response over the prologue to this story! I was inspired to write the next chapter and post it as soon as it was finished. I hope it meets the expectations of those who enjoyed the prologue! Critiques are always welcome! If you want to see more of a certain character, or if you want the story to be more comedic, dramatic, romantic, whatever, just say. I'm open to developing this story in to pretty much anything. Just so long as nobody asks me to kill off anybody, I'm good. P

Isn't Shinji a sweet, little piece of work? I'm trying to make him come off as being somebody who is very in tune with the emotions of others and who acts like he's more naïve than he really is. He's the type of guy who acts like a goof, but is really planning something 99 of the time. I wanted to try and capture that Eriol-esc attitude. Anybody who's seen Cardcaptor Sakura should know what I mean.

I also feel that he and Shigure would make quite the duo. They both have that "I know more than you think I do and, although I act silly, I'm really just trying to plan a way to make things go my way and to annoy anybody who gets in my way" attitude.

And before I go off on a tangent too much, anybody seen Utena? The episode where you meet Ruka and he's kissing Shiori, when Jury is watching them she sees Ruka watching her and realizes that he knows that she loves Shiori… I think it was episode 28… Well anyways, that was the same sort of effect I was going for when Shinji sees Yuki on the steps behind Tohru. I hope I pulled it off decent…

-

_Lost Answers: The Missed Chance_

_-_

"Ah! Welcome home!" Shigure smiled with his same goofy grin. He looked Shinji up and down and laughed, "Ahhhh yes, finals must be coming up. That's the only time Kyou let's you into the house, right?" Shigure smacked Shinji on the back.

Shinji fell forward, but steadied his balance. He laughed nervously and removed his shoes. Shinji tripped over the porch step, caught himself, and ran after the already up stairs Kyou.

"Kyoooooooooooooooooon!" Shinji stumbled at the top of the steps, "Oi, Kyon! Do you treat all your friends like this?" Shinji laughed and ran into Kyou's room.

Kyou was already sitting cross-legged on the floor. He sighed and flipped open a book, "No, you're the only friend I have to abuse."

Shinji flopped down in front of Kyou and smirked, "Looks like somebody needs a hug!" He lunged forward and tackled Kyou to the ground. "Oh, Kyon-Kyon! What would I do without you!"

Kyou growled and pushed Shinji backwards. "You sick bastard." Kyou smirked and laughed, "Let's study already…"

"Ah, Kyou-kun!" the voice made Kyou's face turn red. He turned towards the door as Tohru came in to view. "What would you and Shinji-san like for dinner? I figured I'd make a meal and then join the study session afterwards." Tohru smiled.

Shinji smirked at Kyou. He was beginning to sense that Honda Tohru wasn't just a guest. Suddenly Kyou's keeping him out of the house made sense. Shinji looked at Tohru, "Tohru….-san? I'd really like to cook dinner tonight."

"Hai…?" Tohru blinked.

"Please allow me to cook. It's the least I could do for Kyon after he took me in for the night," Shinji smiled, "Please stay here and study with Kyon while I'm gone." Kyou shot a glance at Shinji. Shinji smirked and stood up.

"Ah… well then, I leave dinner to you," Tohru smiled and sat down next to Kyou. Shinji waved and walked out of the room.

-

"Ah! Shinji-kun!" Shigure was sitting at the table reading. He removed his glasses and stood up, "Taking over for Tohru-kun, eh? Well, I guess you'll need to use her apron, although I doubt you'll fill it out the same way."

"Once a pervert, always a pervert, eh, Shigure-sensei?" Shinji laughed.

"Are you doing what I think you're doing, Shinji-kun?" Shigure glanced at Shinji as he walked into the kitchen.

Shinji turned and smirked, "Why, Shigure-sensei… what ever could you mean?"

-

"So that means it would be ten instead, right?" Tohru scribbled down notes on a paper and flipped the page of the book.

"Ah…" Kyou couldn't help but watch her. Now was the perfect time to say what he needed to. This beautiful girl could be his if he could just say it…

"I guess there's more than one way to do this type of problem then…." Tohru chewed on the end of her pencil.

"Tohru…" Kyou turned to her.

"Hai?" Tohru smiled.

"About you…" Kyou's eyes met her's. He leaned towards her and placed a hand over her notes, "About you, I… I… I lo-"  
"Oi." The voice made Kyou fall past Tohru.

"Ah! Yuki-kun, welcome home!" Tohru turned. Yuki stood in the door way, eyes locked on Kyou. "How was the student council party? I didn't expect you to be home so early."

"I wanted to come back and pick up those cookies you baked for me." Yuki kept a glare on Kyou, "but I don't think I'll be going back to the party."

"THAT'S IT!" Kyou growled and jumped up. "I'll win! Today is the day I beat you! PREPARE YOURSELF!"

"I'm not in the mood to play these stupid games, Kyou." Yuki walked from the room and went down the hall. Kyou ran out the door after him.

"FINE! Run away, you damn rat!" Kyou yelled, "I'll beat you fair and square! Just you wait."

"Kyou…-kun…" Tohru sighed and walked down the steps.

-

Shigure set a bowl down on the table just as a knocking started at the front door.

"I'll get it," Tohru said as she walked down the steps. She walked to the door just as Hatori let himself in. "Ha-Hatori-san?"

"I'm here, too!" a high pitched voice rang out from behind Hatori.

"Ah! Momiji-kun!" Tohru smiled.

"Yay!" Momiji lunged towards Tohru. Just as he went in for the glomp, Kyou grabbed him by the shirt collar.

"Kuso gaki. There's a guest here. Besides, you don't just jump at a woman."

"Waaaaaa… Kyou's being mean to me…" Momiji sniffled.

"Eh? More of your family, Kyon?" Shinji appeared from the kitchen, clad in a pink apron. He stopped and looked at Kyou's face just as Yuki came down the stairs. _Damn…_, he thought, _Yuki musta bust in just when Kyon got up the nerve. And I worked so hard to set this up to._

Tohru smiled at Shinji. "Shinji-san, this is Hatori-san and I believe you know Momiji-kun. Hatori-san, this is Kyou-kun's friend Harahoku Shinji-san."

"….." Hatori looked Shinji up and down, "Kyou, I have to talk to you in private."

_Whoa… that was the look of death if I ever saw it. What a creepy guy, _Shinji thought as Kyou walked upstairs with Hatori.

"Shinji-san, I'm sorry, members of the Sohma family happen to appear a lot, so usually I make an extra large meal." Tohru stopped and realized what she had said, "I-I-I mean, when I come over I make an extra large meal, not that I'm over a lot, but, um, well, I, I, I just…"

Shinji walked up to Tohru, "It's okay," he whispered, "I'm smart enough to have figured it out by now." He grinned and stepped backwards. "Tohru-san, I would be honored if my lady would assist me in the kitchen." He bowed to Tohru.

"Ah, well," Tohru blushed, "I guess I can help." She walked towards the kitchen as Shinji straightened. As he did, he smirked at Yuki and walked after Tohru.

Yuki stared after Shinji, "He's trying to set them up…" he gasped, "And I think he knows how I feel, too."

"Eh? What are you talking about Yuki?" Momiji bounced around the steps.

Yuki frowned and walked back up the stairs.

-

"What do you want, Hatori," Kyou mumbled.

"Akito," Hatori closed his eyes, "He wants to see you tomorrow."

"What?" Kyou gasped.

"You will report to the main house right after school."

"I… I don't get it…" Kyou clenched his hands into tight fists. "I still… I still have time… I know I do…"

Hatori didn't respond. He simply stood up and left the room. Kyou was left alone, kneeling in the moonlight.


	3. Is there someone you love?

Buh-buh! Chapter two in my precious Fruits Basket fan fiction! I was asked what kuso gaki meant and the answer would be damn brat. Not an original insult, but rather ripped straight from the show. Did I spell it right? Baka baka! I should check this stuff first! Well, just in case, I checked my spelling on the Japanese in this chapter.

Super Japanese Info Time!

Ittekimasu means I'm going.

Itterasshai means Take care.

Sumimasen means Pardon me.

Ah. It seems Harahoku Shinji-kun isn't in this chapter much, but DON'T WORRY! Tohru goes in to a long, rambling, Tohru-esc speech and Kyou and Tohru have a moment. Hee hee! Is this chapter short? I can't tell.

I don't own Fruits Basket. GOMEN NASAIIIIIII!

-

_Lost Answers: Is There Someone You Love?_

_-_

"Ah, Kyou-kun!" Tohru smiled as Kyou slowly walked down the stairs, "Dinner is ready, Kyou-kun. Please help yourself."

"Ah…" Kyou walked past her and out the door.

"Kyou… kun…" Tohru stared at Kyou's back as he walked away.

"Honda-san," Yuki walked up behind her, "I've decided to go back to the party. I'm sorry I won't be joining you for dinner."

"Ah! It's completely, perfectly fine!" Tohru smiled, "This is your last time together with the other student council members. Please enjoy yourself! I'll keep a plate for you when you return."

Yuki frowned. Shigure had convinced him to go back to the party and he had done so with a mischievous smirk. "Ittekimasu."

"Itterasshai!" Tohru waved as Yuki put on his shoes and slowly walked outside. "Kyou-kun…"

"Oi, Tohru-san!" Tohru turned as Shinji walked up behind her, clad in her pink apron, "Are you and Kyon sitting with us for dinner?"

"Ah, Shinji-san, I," Tohru looked at the door, "I'll be back in a bit. I'm going to get Kyou-kun."

"Okay," Shinji's smile turned into a mysterious smirk, "Come back safely." Tohru place on her shoes and walked outside.

"Shinji-kun, you look like you're having fun," Shigure's voice came from behind him. Shinji turned.

"I wouldn't be if not for your help, Shigure-sensei." Shinji turned to him. They exchanged smiles and joined Hatori and Momiji for dinner.

"I knew it!" Kyou jumped as Tohru's head popped up over the edge of the roof.

"Why do you always show up so suddenly!" Kyou hissed.

Tohru and Kyou sat staring at the stars together. Tohru glanced at Kyou and smiled.

"Kyou-kun, may I ask you a question?"

"You don't have to ask," Kyou mumbled, "If you have a question, just ask it like a normal person."

"Ah…" Tohru looked back up at the sky, "Is there… Is there someone you…" Tohru stammered. Her face turned red as she looked back at Kyou. Kyou glanced down at her.

"What?" Kyou and Tohru's eyes locked.

"Is there… someone you… someone…"

"WHAT WHAT someone I what," Kyou growled, "I get irritated when people can't finish what they're saying!"

"Sumimasen…" Tohru frowned, "What I mean to ask is… is if there's someone you… someone you…Kyou-kun, is there someone you love?"

Kyou twitched, "What?"

"I'm sorry, I should have asked such a strange question so suddenly," Tohru stood up and began walking towards the ladder, "Please forget I asked, I'm sorry, really. Dinner is ready so if you-"

"What about you?" Kyou's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Huh?" Tohru stopped and turned.

"I asked if there was someone you loved."

"Ah…" Tohru sat next to Kyou again. "There's many people I love, but if you mean the same way I meant, which you probably did some it's silly to say that, but I, um…"

Kyou smiled. "You really are stupid, you know that?"

Tohru smiled back at Kyou, "Yes, there is someone I love. I think of this person every day and sometimes I almost get the courage to tell him, but…" Tohru's eyes began to water and she looked back at the sky, "But I'm afraid… It hurts, not being able to express my love to this person. I also know that, if I told this person how I felt, I would be causing him pain. Sometimes I really want to tell him despite what I know will happen, but then I feel sick at myself for being so selfish. To cause pain to the one I love… That would pain my heart worse than never telling the person how I feel. Okaa-san used to tell me that, sometimes she was afraid of telling my father how she felt about him. She knew that if she did, and if they were to be together, it would upset his family and that would hurt him. She was afraid that she'd never be with him, but knew that she'd feel happier knowing he wasn't in pain, but then, just as she was about to give up on her love, my father came to her. He told her that he loved her more than anyone and, although he would feel pain if his family did not like him being with her, it would be fine as long as he could be with the one he loved most."

"Tohru…" Kyou looked down at her. She was almost in tears, yet was smiling.

"Sumimasen, I was rambling," Tohru rubbed her eyes.

"No, I feel the same way you do…" Kyou inched closer to her.

"Eh?" Tohru blushed and looked at him.

"I love someone, but I also can't tell this person how I feel without hurting them." Kyou dropped a hand on Tohru's head, "but don't cry. I'm sure the person returns your feelings. Only a fool wouldn't love you back… So… don't cry… A smile suits you best."

"Kyou… kun…" Tohru blushed. Tears began to fall from her eyes.

"Oi, I said don't cry. Geez, what am I going to do with a hopeless girl like you around," Kyou moved his hand from her head to her shoulder and pulled her close. "What else hurts is knowing that this is as close as I can get to the one I love."

Tohru rubbed her eyes and rested her head on Kyou's shoulder, "I know, Kyou-kun, that it hurts not being able to hold the one you love. I know how much it hurts…"

"Be quiet…" Kyou sighed, "You'll just cry more if you keep saying sad things."

"Hai…" Tohru smiled. "I'm sorry for this, I'll go back downstairs now."

"Wait," Kyou didn't release his grasp on Tohru's shoulder. "Can we please stay like this for a little bit longer."

"Hai…" Tohru closed her eyes and smiled. Kyou looked down at her and smiled as well.


	4. Suki

Brought some comedy back in to this here Furuba story! I bet you'll get fond memories of Fruits Basket when Shinji starts singing! When I was proofreading this chapter, I felt it went extremely fast. Unfortunately, I wanted it to end off the way it did, so I couldn't really make it longer. I hope it's worth your reading it anyways! I believe the next chapter is going to be much longer to make up for all these short ones. However, that also means that it'll take longer to post. Or maybe not… It's not like I can drive anywhere with a cast on my ankle, so what else do I have to do but type?

Super Japanese Special Fun!

Suki – to like

Baka – Idiot

Nekozuki – Cat lover

Well… I still don't own Fruits Basket. I really should work on that little problem. I'd be making the big bucks if I did…

-

_Lost Answers: Suki_

_-_

"Oh, no!" Momiji was running around the house in a panic. "Tohru didn't show up for dinner! Her food is cold now! And after I went to the trouble of making Hari bring me along so I could have dinner with Tohru!"

"Momichi, stop sulking and help Shi-chan clean up." Shigure hopped past the commotion and into his study. Once there he looked up at the ceiling and smirked.

"Momiji-chan?" Shinji poked Momiji in the back of his head, "I'm sure Tohru-san missed dinner for a good reason. I'm also sure she'd be extremely happy if you helped clean up." Shinji smiled.

"Leave it to me, Shi-Ji!" Momiji ran in to the kitchen.

"You don't know," Shinji jumped as a deep voice came from behind him. He turned to face Hatori, "You don't know how much pain your actions are going to cause those two." Hatori turned from Shinji and walked towards the door. "Momiji. It's time to go."

"Waaaaaah!" Momiji cried as he walked from the kitchen, "but I barely got to see Tohru today!"

"Judging from how things went today, I'm sure you'll see her tomorrow." Hatori shot Shinji a stern look and walked out the door. Momiji ran after.

"What a creepy guy. That's what freaks me out about the Sohma clan." Shinji sighed.

"Ah?" Tohru and Kyou walked in the door, "I saw Hatori-san and Momiji-kun leaving. What time is it?"

"You two were missing for two hours," Shinji smirked at Kyou, "but there's still food out for you."

"I'll go warm it up then. Thank you Shinji-san." Tohru smiled and walked into the kitchen.

"Kyon and I are gonna bring our books down here to study, okay?" Shinji yelled after her.

"Hai! That's a great idea, Shinji-san."

"Ne, Kyon," Shinji grabbed Kyou's arm and dragged him up the stairs. Once in Kyou's room, Shinji flopped on to the floor and looked up at him. "So?"

"So?" Kyou's eye twitched.

"Two hours. Come on, you had to tell her!"

"We…" Kyou frowned and sat across from Shinji. "If you were asked the question, 'is there someone you love?' how would you respond?"

"Oh! Kyon, I thought you'd never ask!" "Tears" streamed from Shinji's eyes. "All this time I've been watching from the sidelines as my true love chases after the person they love most. It hurt not being able to tell this person how I felt, but I was so happy just to see my love so happy… I… I…" Shinji lunged at Kyou, "OH MY HONEY, KYONIE!"

Kyou landed a punch in Shinji's stomach, "Cut the crap, bastard."

"Alright, alright," Shinji rubbed his stomach, "What, did she ask you that, or something? Boy, that's ironic!"  
"There's somebody she loves." Kyou frowned, "What if it's not me? That damn Yuki… He probably did something to sway her to his side."

"I doubt it." Shinji yawned and began collecting the books, "I've seen her talk to Yuki. There's love in her eyes, but not in the same way that there is in his. If he did do something, it wasn't blatant enough. Besides, why would a girl want a prince when she can have a Nekozuki?"

Another punch landed in Shinji's stomach.

"Alright, sorry, sorry man," Shinji groaned, "That really hurts, you know?"

Kyou gathered some books and left Shinji in the room.

"Oiiiiiii! Kyon, don't leeeeave me!" Shinji grabbed the rest of the books and stumbled after.

-

Shinji sighed, "Another failed attempt…"

"Shigure-san, we're leaving now!" Tohru waved.

"Come back safely!" Shigure waved Kyou, Tohru, Shinji, and Yuki off from the porch as they left for school.

"Yuki-kun, you didn't get back until late. Was the party fun?" Tohru walked between Kyou and Yuki.

"Ah-mm…" Yuki's eyes were locked on Kyou, "It was fun, but I couldn't really enjoy myself for some reason."

"HEY! Let's sing a song!" Shinji burst between Yuki and Tohru.

"Eh?" Kyou raised an eyebrow, "Well, at least one of us has energy in the morning…"

"Yuuhi no you yaaamani, teru, teru Momiji!" Shinji danced around Tohru as she smiled, Kyou anger marked, and Yuki sweat dropped.

"BAKA!" Another blow went for Shinji's stomach, but he easily dodged, "Gaaaah! I can't believe that kuso gaki taught you that song…" Kyou growled and walked faster.

"Awww, come on Kyon! It's a sing-a-long!" Shinji stopped and grabbed Tohru's hands. "I'm sure this lovely princess shall sing with me!"

"Ah?" Tohru blinked.

"Kaeru ya tokage ga, Konnichiwa!" Shinji sang loud and Tohru sang lightly.

"AHHHH!" Kyou growled.

The song continued the entire trip to the school. At the gate, Kyou stopped.

"What's the plan for the rest of you after school?" Kyou dropped his backpack.

"I have work, but I'll be back in time to make dinner." Tohru smiled.

"I'll be going home right after class." Yuki frowned.

"I'll be studying while enjoying Tohru-san's fine cooking!" Shinji smirked.

"Alright. Tohru… If I'm done with my errand in time, I'll walk you home." Kyou picked up his bag and walked past the group.

"Errand?" Tohru, Shinji, and Yuki spoke in unison.

-

"Shinji, could you go home with Yuki?" Kyou looked tired. He had seemed to become more and more depressed as the day went on.

"I guess so," Shinji blinked, "but what about you?"

Kyou looked out at the street. A black car pulled up and Hatori stepped out, "I just have stuff to do at the main house."

Shinji's eyes grew wide. Kyou had told him before that he was banned from the main house. Whenever Kyou mentioned it he got a sad expression on his face, and here he was going to the main house and there was an even sadder expression. Before he could say anything Kyou was already in the car. Shinji watched it drive off as Yuki walked up next to him.

-

Hatori led Kyou through the main house. He stopped at a door in the back of a large room. As Hatori opened the door, Kyou peered in to the closet sized room.

"Wait in here." Hatori motioned towards the room. Kyou hesitated, then proceeded in. Hatori closed the door behind him.

Kyou sat on the floor. He looked around the bare room and sighed. There was another door in front of him and nothing else. "Here I'm in the main house, but I'm not allowed in the main room."

"Of course not," a voice came from the other side of the second door, "my… pathetic little monster."


	5. Daisuki, Dakara Daisuki

Another chapter already! Why? Because it's a very lonely Valentine's Day… I must have lost my humor groove this week because I just can't be funny! Oh well… I think the kawaii-ness of this chapter may make up for it… Maybe my humor will be back next week. It seems this story has taken a more serious path than I originally planned. Oh well… I'm still rather proud of this chapter. Who's read further into the Fruits Basket manga than the first book? If you hit around chapter 62, you'll know what the Akito meeting is inspired by. If you haven't read that far and don't like spoilers, I hope I made it an original enough version not to spoil anything important… I just loved the scene where Akito strokes Kyou's hair and Kyou tells him to back off. XD This is also a much longer chapter than the last ones. I originally wanted to stop it in the middle of this, but I was on such a role! I figured I'd continue and just make it one long chapter. Keep a careful watch on those suffixes! insert pointless wink here 

Super Japanese Special!

Gomen nasai: I'm sorry (incase you don't get that from Ritsu P)

Daisuki, dakara daisuki: I love you, that's why I love you

I can't believe I haven't bought out Fruits Basket… I mean… I have thirty cents! Come on, that's gotta get me at least one manga empire!

-

_Lost Answers: Daisuki, Dakara Daisuki_

_-_

"I thought Kyou-kun was going to pick me up…" Tohru stood outside her place of work. She sighed and looked around. She had been off work for half an hour now, but Kyou hadn't shown up.

"Tohru-san!" Tohru turned to see Shinji running towards her.

"Ah! Shinji-san!" Tohru smiled.

"Harahoku-san and I are picking you up today." Yuki walked up to them and smiled.

"Thank you!" Tohru smiled, "But where's Kyou-kun?"

"Oh…" Shinji bit his lip as they began walking, "He's… at the main house."

"What?" Tohru and Yuki yelled in unison.

"He said that somebody named Akito wanted to see him," Shinji scratched his head, "so Hatori-sensei picked him up today after school let out."

Shinji jumped backwards as Tohru ran past him.

"Hon-" Yuki stared after her. "Honda-san…"

"Kyou-kun, Kyou-kun, Kyou…" Tohru tripped and fell to the ground. She tried to pull herself up, but fell back down. "What… what am I doing… I should be happy that Kyou-kun is allowed in the main house, but… But what if Akito does something mean to him…" Tohru didn't know why she was worried all she knew was that she wanted to be with Kyou.

-

"My… pathetic little monster…" Akito came through the door and stood in front of Kyou.

"Don't call me that…" Kyou growled.

"But… you are a monster, aren't you? You are… pathetic, right?" Akito smiled, "Of course you are…" Akito knelt down and ran a hand through Kyou's hair.

"Don't… don't touch me…" Kyou shifted backwards. "Just… tell me what you wanted…"

"Ah, yes," Akito released Kyou's hair, "How is our… little bet coming along?"

Kyou's eyes grew wide.

"If you defeat Yuki by your graduation, I will stop calling you a monster and allow you to become a member of the jyuunishi…" Akito leaned forward until his face was next to Kyou's, "but if you failed, I shall keep you locked up in a cage like the monster you are until you die…" Kyou tried to shift back again, but Akito grabbed his shoulder and leaned closer, "It seems I've won…"

Kyou growled and tried to back away, "You can't decide that… I still have time…"

"But you have tried for so long, my pathetic little monster… You don't win, do you? You can't win, can you? It is because you are cursed… You are a monster… Nobody can stand you…"

Kyou squeezed his eyes shut.

"It was suicide, Kyou." The voice from his past made Kyou's eyes shoot open. It was his father's voice. "Your mother committed suicide because of you. You killed her, Kyou."

"No one can stand you." Akito's voice seemed to match his father's. "If she had not bore a monster, your mother would still be alive."

"No…" Kyou grabbed his head and squeezed his eyes shut, "It's not my fault! It's not… It's not my fault!"

"The only one who can stand you… is Honda Tohru-san…" Akito placed his hands on top of Kyou's, "Do you know why that is? She is a monster, after all. She seems so perfect… but don't people like that sicken you? Aren't you disgusted by her? So perfect… She is obviously a monster. Only a monster could see a monster and not run away…"

"You're wrong…" Kyou could feel his head pounding.

"What...?" Akito leaned forward.

"She cried for me… She looked at the real me… She was scared, yet didn't run away…" Kyou opened his eyes. "She… she told me she wanted to be with me… forever…"

Akito dropped his hands away from Kyou's. He shifted backwards and stared at the huddled shape before him.

"This feeling… this attraction…" Kyou looked at Akito. "I've found the special feeling… Something I thought I'd never have without being in the Sohma family…"

"Be… Be quiet!" Akito lunged forward and grabbed Kyou's hair. He yanked on it, but Kyou was un-phased.

"To have someone saying she wanted to be with me…" Kyou pulled Akito's hand from his head and stood up. "I love her…"

-

Tohru burst through the front gate to the Sohma property. She dashed towards the main house. As she reached the porch she didn't even remove her shoes. She fell in to the room, knocking into and bringing down a dark figure with her. A poof of brown smoke flew up around her.

"G-gomen nasai!" Tohru jumped backwards and stared down at a tiny seahorse. "Ah… Hatori-san… Gomen nasai… I was in a rush and… Ah! Kyou-kun! Where's Kyou-kun?

"Honda-kun…" Hatori blinked, "He's with Akito. You can't go in there."

"Ha…tori…-san…" Tears began to fall from her eyes. "I can't let anything happen to Kyou-kun… If he were hurt… physically or emotionally… my heart would hurt…" She wiped her eyes.

"Honda-kun… I'm sorry, but he's with Akito…"

"I know it's selfish, but I want to see him… Hatori-san…" Tohru closed her eyes and clasped her hands to her chest. "When I think of Kyou-kun my heart starts pounding. When I heard that he was alone with Akito-san… there was a pain in my heart. Hatori-san… I lo-"

A brown puff of smoke appeared around Hatori. Tohru squeaked and spun around.

-

"Harahoku-san, I'm sorry, but you can't come on to the Sohma property." Yuki frowned and walked through the gate. He and Shinji had run after Tohru, but had lost sight of her. It was easily assumed that she went to the main house.

"I guess this Akito guy is a real bad seed." Shinji sighed and stayed by the gate. "What a creepy family."

-

"You fool…" Akito laughed. Kyou had backed him up against the door. "You cannot defy me… I can destroy you… and I can destroy Honda Tohru-san…"

"You're afraid of me…" Kyou slammed his hands against the wall. "But I'm not going to be trapped in your cage. I don't need you or the Sohma family… This attraction… It's enough to protect us from you…"

"You'll just hurt her. A monster like you… How could anyone love you back? Not even your mother could love you. Even if someone could love you… how could you hold a relationship? When embraced you turn in to a disgusting animal… How could even Honda Tohru-san love you? Akito smirked.

"You contradict yourself." Kyou's eyes met Akito's and he smirked. "You've never been opposed like this before, have you? You're scared, aren't you? You wish I would just go away, don't you?"

"I had your memory erased before. I can have it done again so you don't know of Honda Tohru-san." Akito snapped.

"What?" Kyou frowned.

-

"Gomen nasai, Hatori-san…" Tohru was sitting by the rock garden.

"It's fine." Hatori pulled his coat back on and stood behind her. "Why did you rush over here? Wouldn't you be happy that Kyou was allowed at the main house?"

"Yes, but…" Tohru looked out at the garden and sighed, "Kyou-kun looked so sad today… I just felt that he'd be scared to meet with Akito-san… I feel that… Akito-san might be someone that Kyou-kun is frightened of."

"And you didn't want him to be alone… since you love him…" Hatori looked out at the garden.

"Hai…" Tohru whispered. Neither she nor Hatori noticed the slender figure standing behind them.

"Back already? Is she in there?" Shinji watched Yuki as he walked past. "You okay?"

"She's in there… but we should go now…" Yuki didn't slow down as he talked.

"Could it be…? Twaaaa! Kyon, you dog, you!" Shinji looked back at the house and smiled, then followed Yuki in to the darkness.

-

Akito's smirk rose once again. He narrowed his eyes and stared at Kyou. "Yes… that's right… when you were a child I had your memory erased. Your memories of your mother's death, of your father's abandoning you, and of a girl you met as a child… All of your memories… false. However, you seem to be coming over that dear little mind block… It's a shame… You see… I did it to protect you. You owe your life to me just like every other member of this family… Without me, you'd be dead…"

Kyou could feel the urge to stand up against Akito fading. "I… remember my mother's death so vividly… I can hear my father's last words before he left… But… what girl…?"

Akito smiled and wrapped a hand around Kyou's head. He tugged on the orange hair until Kyou flinched. "You don't have much longer to defeat Yuki… Won't Honda Tohru-san be so sad to see you go…?" Akito released Kyou's hair and pushed him backwards. He then proceeded through the door from which he had come, leaving Kyou alone in the small room.

-

Kyou opened the door back to the main room and sighed.

"Kyou?" a female voice came from the other side of the room. Kyou looked up as a shadowy figure ran towards him.

"T… Tohru?" Kyou blinked. "GAH!" Tohru glomped him. An orange puff of smoke sprang from Kyou.

"Kyou! Kyou! I… I was so worried so I ran here after I found out where you were and and and…" Tohru stammered and sat back. She stared at the orange cat in her arms.

"KUSO!" Kyou growled. His fur stood on end.

"Gomen nasai!" Tohru squeaked. "I'm so sorry! I completely forgot! I was just so happy to see you and so I got excited… I'm so sorry…"

Kyou twitched. "It's… it's fine…"

"Kyou... kun…. I want to tell you something…" Tohru set Kyou on the floor and smiled.

"I have to tell you something, too…" Kyou looked back at the small room.

Hatori sighed from the other end of the room and walked past them. He grabbed a folder from the desk and left the room.

"Please… go first, Kyou-kun…" Tohru smiled.

Kyou sighed. He knew it would be pointless to argue with her to go first. "I may not be around for much longer…"

Tohru's eyes grew large. She could feel a lump in her throat and a flutter in her chest. "W… what do you mean…?"

"A long time ago I made a bet with Akito that if I defeated Yuki before graduation that I could become a formal member of the family, but if I failed, Akito could lock me up until the day I die…" Kyou laid his head on Tohru's leg and sighed. "I felt I should tell you now before… before anything changes."

"Kyou-kun… I…"

"Wait… I have something to ask you…" Kyou looked away from her. "Why do you like me? You could have easily run when you saw my true form."

"I knew if I left, you'd never come back… And I like you because I like you." Tohru smiled and pet him. "In fact… I _love_ you because I love you."

Kyou looked up at her. He could feel his eyes water. "Tohru… I…" Just as he began to speak, an orange poof of smoke engulfed him.

"Ahhh!" Tohru blushed and fell backwards.

"Way to ruin a moment…" Kyou mumbled as he pulled on his pants and bracelet.

"Huh?" Tohru turned to him.

"Nothing…" Kyou pulled his shirt on. "It's getting late… I'm sure Shigure is waiting for his dinner." Kyou stood up and walked past Tohru. _Kuso… I'm such a chicken…_ Kyou thought to himself as he stepped off the porch.

"Kyou-kun!" Tohru ran after him. "Was there something you wanted to tell me?"

"Ah… um…" Kyou looked at the sky. She seemed un-phased by her I love you comment. He must have mistaken her meaning. He sighed. "It was nothing important."

The two walked side-by-side through the darkness without uttering another word.


	6. Cruel Misconceptions

It's all coming together! Did anybody notice that I raised the rating from PG to PG-13? You can blame Kyou and the inability to portray his anger without a dirty mouth. P This chapter took quite a while to make. I swear I didn't take so long to make everybody squirm! I want to somehow get all of the Sohma clan into the story, but when are Shinji, Tohru, and Kyou going to get a chance to study? The thing that took longer than the chapter to write was the title of it! Ooooooiiiiiiii….. At first I thought "The Climax," but then I was like… What if this _isn't_ the climax? Then I thought, "Mistaken." Then it was "Night Vision." That seems like it'd be about a dream though… Then I thought "Shadows in the Window." It sounded like a horror flick or a dorky romance novel… Isn't it funny how a title can sound like scary or romantic depending on how you say it? Or how one little word can change an entire meaning to a title? Like, instead of Shadows in the Window I could have put Shadows on the Window or Window Shadows. Both sound about the same, yet are completely different.

I still have no clue what I'm doing here… I can't write well and I have the creativity of a stick. I send my apologies out to all the sticks in the audience. Grrrrrrrrr…. What is this chapter called? I'm still not happy with the title one bit. I took the first two words that popped into my head at 10:23 P.M. twitches uncontrollably insert drum roll here 

-

_Lost Answers: Cruel Misconceptions_

_-_

"Ehhh? Kyou-kun was alone with Tohru-kun for this long? Then he went for a romantic moonlit walk with her?" Shigure gasped and looked at Shinji.

"Kyou-kun no su-ke-be!" Shinji and Shigure sang in unison.

"Shut up! It wasn't like that!" Kyou growled. "We were in the same place, why should we walk home separate?"

"I don't feel like eating tonight." Yuki's voice was cold. He glared at Kyou and walked upstairs.

"Yuki-kun…" Tohru looked after him.

"What happened to him? Did his fan club switch to Haru-lovers?" Kyou hissed.

"I don't know what happened." Shinji shrugged. "He just went in the main house and when he came back he was like this."  
"Yuki-kun was in the main house?" Tohru's eyes grew wide.

"Well, anyways," Shigure lit his cigarette, "Tomorrow is the big test day, isn't it?"

"Shigure-sensei!" Shinji grabbed the cigarette from Shigure's hand and snuffed it out. "Don't you know smoking is bad for you? And with us impressionable minds here… Tsk tsk." Shinji smirked and Shigure lit up another.

"But, I'm a novelist!" Shigure jumped from behind the table and threw his smutty doujinshi on the table. "A pen in one hand and a cigarette in the other while tirelessly working away day and night in traditional clothing!"

"More like a cigarette in one hand and an onigiri in the other while dreaming up ways to annoy your editor," Kyou scoffed.

"Your hateful words bring tears to my eyes, Kyou-chan!" Shigure sat back down disdainfully. Shinji took the opportunity to snuff out the cigarette in his fingers.

"So, Tohru-san," Shinji filled her rice bowl and smiled, "what is our lovely princess going to do after graduation?"

"Ah…" Tohru looked at Kyou, "I think I may work more at my job and save up money for a local college."

"That's a wonderful plan! It is befitting of a Cinderella like you!" Shinji bowed to her and looked at Kyou. "What about you, Prince Charming?"

"I…" Kyou clenched his fists. In one week, he would no longer have a life worth living. "I'm going for a walk."

"Walk?" Shinji scratched his head, "That's not a very long term plan, Kyon-Kyon."

Kyou growled and stood up hastily, nearly knocking over the table as he did, "I mean I'm going for a walk, _now_!" Kyou stomped out of the house and slammed the door shut, ripping the paper in the action.

"Whenever Kyou gets mad, another part of my house breaks…" Shigure sighed.

Tohru kept her eyes locked on the door and Shinji kept his locked on Tohru. Tohru quickly stood up and bowed.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not feeling well. Please eat without me." Tohru rushed from the room and ran upstairs. "Yuki-kun?" Tohru said quietly when she reached his door.

"Honda-san…" Yuki sighed, "I'm sorry, but I'm not hungry is all. I didn't mean to rush out."

"Can I come in, Yuki-kun?" Tohru peeked in. Yuki was standing on his balcony, looking sadly at the stars.

"Ah… mmm…" Yuki waved her in. "I saw Kyou walk out a while ago… You didn't want to follow him?"

"I know why Kyou-kun wanted to walk and I think it's something he wants to think about by himself." Tohru positioned herself next to Yuki. "My okaa-san used to say that, it's always wonderful to care for someone, but caring for someone also means knowing when to let them sort things out on their own. I know in my heart that I want to be with Kyou-kun when he's hurting… but I also know that I have to let Kyou-kun be Kyou-kun and to let him have time to himself."

Yuki nodded. He felt something swelling in his heart. He knew he couldn't let someone like this be with Kyou. He clenched his fists. "Hon-"

"Yuki-kun, I have to ask you something." Tohru didn't hear him start speaking.

"Ah… mmm…" Yuki blushed and looked down at her.

"Will you please… fight Kyou-kun?" Tohru clasped her hands to her chest. "I know that recently he hasn't challenged you… I think it's because he doesn't want to see me sad, but I also know that Kyou-kun has to fight you or else something terrible will happen. So, I know that I shouldn't ask you to take a dive for him or anything, but I do want you two to fight… Just… one last time…" Tohru could feel tears streaming down her face.

Yuki turned to her. He placed a finger under her eye and wiped away the tears. "A smile… suits you best, Tohru… kun…" Tohru smiled up at him, but tears still flowed. "If it is your wish for me to fight Kyou… then I shall fight Kyou, but before I do…" Yuki placed a hand in Tohru's hair and drew her face close to his. Tohru locked eyes with him as he neared his lips to hers.

-

Kyou sighed and sat down on a rock. He could feel the grooves from his claw marks from that night going through the rock. _I'm so stupid…_ Kyou sighed.

"It's no point telling her now… I'll be in a worse situation than death soon."

"Kyou?" A male voice came from the trees. A slender boy came from the east of where Kyou sat. His white hair reflected slightly in the moonlight.

"Eh?" Kyou blinked at the figure sat on the ground in front of him. "Haru? Why are you all the way out here?"

"I left the house a couple hours ago to go to the grocery store, but I must have taken a wrong turn and have been wandering around here for the last hour." Haru scratched his head and looked around.

"The… grocery store isn't more than five minutes from the house and it's a straight road…" Kyou sighed.

"You look upset, Kyou." Haru blinked and tilted his head to the side, "Did you lose to Yuki again?"

"NO!" Kyou hissed. "I haven't even fought that kuso nezumi in a long time!"

"I figured something was up when you came to school with fewer scrapes and bruises." Haru looked around confused. "I think I lost my bike…"

"Geh…" Kyou fell backwards off the rock.

"Well, since I'm apparently all the way out here," Haru stood up and walked in the direction he had just come from, "I supposed I'll go visit Yuki."

"The… house is this way…" Kyou stood up and walked away from Haru.

"So," Haru had to run to catch up, "what was bothering you that you were sitting alone in the dark?"

"Just… things…" Kyou sighed.

"Graduation? The test? Honda-san?" Haru looked around the area as though he'd never seen it before.

Kyou jolted to a stop and Haru ran in to his back. "It's… two of those as well as one more…"

"Is Akito another?" Haru moved in front of Kyou. He turned and noticed the house. "So I guess I wasn't far from Sensei's house after all. Kyou?" He turned back to Kyou, but his sight was fixed on a balcony. Haru's gaze followed Kyou's to see two figures on Yuki's balcony. One sillohette's face was near the other's face.

"That… that… BASTARD!" Kyou hissed and ran to the nearest open window. He jumped in the house and disappeared.

"Kyou!" Haru looked after Kyou then back at the balcony. He could hear faint voices.

-

"If it is your wish for me to fight Kyou… then I shall fight Kyou, but before I do…" Yuki said as he moved his face towards her. Tohru could feel his breath on her lips. Her eyes grew wide and she threw her hands onto his chest. Tohru squeaked and pushed him away then sidestepped into the room.

"S… sumimasen…" Tohru stammered. She slowly backed towards the door. "I… I'm going to go eat now…" Tohru turned and nearly bumped into Kyou. Kyou looked down at her coldly then looked over at Yuki.

"Honda-san…" Yuki undid the top clasp on his shirt, "go downstairs."

"H… hai…" Tohru didn't look at Kyou as she dashed past.

"Kyou. We are going to fight. This is the last time. If you win, I'll step down. However…" Yuki stepped forward, "when you lose… you are going to stay away from Honda-san."

"BASTARD!" Kyou growled. "Tohru isn't a _prize_ that you can just offer! You don't deserve her…"

"And she also isn't a lifeless creature you can take your anger out on," Yuki mumbled. "This is the climax. Prepare yourself!" Yuki dashed forward.

"BRING IT, RAT BASTARD!" Kyou lunged.


	7. A Spirit Lost

Wow… Writing a fight scene is difficult! I hope I did a decent job… I also had an amazing chance to write a very special scene in the woods at the end of the chapter… but I thought the pair might not be to everybody's liking. However, if anybody is interested, I can make a little omake at the end of the story or the end of the next chapter of what I was going to write. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's pairing the two characters who are together at the end of the chapter. Nothing graphic or anything… Just… um… well… Anybody read the Fake manga? If you go to the end of book six, there is a scene with Dee and Ryo in the cemetery… Just something like that is what I was thinking. However, this is a Kyou/Tohru story… I won't stray from that unless people give me the OK. This is basically an open story that is being developed as I read the reviews.

Sorry it took so long for this chapter to come out. I got a new schedule for classes this month and it is insane. Since I'm going to MegaCon tomorrow, I figured I'd post this now. I hope I finish my costume in time… It isn't shaping out too well. It isn't the greatest, but it also is a lot better than most my stuff. I'll just be happy to be Mai.

So now, without further ado… My worst chapter yet!

-

_Lost Answers: A Spirit Lost_

_-_

Kyou lunged towards Yuki, throwing a fist forward as he did. "This time, I won't lose!" He yelled as Yuki slid past him.

"Don't let your guard down, baka neko," Yuki threw a heel towards Kyou's chest. Kyou spun around and grabbed Yuki's ankle. Yuki gasped and stared at Kyou's hand, stunned.

Kyou smirked, "I told you…" Kyou placed his other hand on Yuki's ankle and pulled backwards, "I WON'T LOSE!" As Kyou pulled, Yuki leapt forward and threw his other leg over Kyou's head. He kicked towards Kyou's chest again, throwing off Kyou's grip. Both stumbled back away from each other.

"At last, a real fight," Yuki smirked, "I've waited so long for this."

-

Haru burst into the house. "Sensei," he dashed up to Shigure, "Has Honda-san come downstairs?"

"Ha-kun?" Shigure blinked. "No… I haven't seen her for a while." Haru dashed up the stairs. "Ay! You're picking up bad habits from Kyou-chan! Take of your shoes!" A shoe flew through the air and landed on Shigure's head.

"It was deserved, Shigure-sensei!" Shinji's head was rested on Shigure's shoulder.

"Where did you come from!" Shigure jumped.

-

"Honda-san?" Haru whispered. He could see a slim figure standing at the end of the hall. He took a step forward, but stopped as he heard voices coming from one of the rooms.

"Hatsuharu-san…" Tohru dropped to the floor. "I hate seeing them fight, but… but…" Tears began to fall from her eyes, "I can't stand to lose Kyou…"

"Tohru…" Haru sat down at the top of the steps. "Honda-san… You're doing the right thing…" Haru gazed towards the room. "Both of us shall stand in the shadows and watch the ones we love…"

"Hai…" Tohru sniffed.

-

Kyou lunged forward again and landed a punch in Yuki's shoulder. Yuki stumbled back a bit, but was otherwise un-phased. Kyou ducked under Yuki's fist and slid backwards. He quickly flung his leg around, attempting to trip Yuki as he stood. Yuki easily avoided the attack and began swinging at Kyou.

Kyou dodged a punch and nearly lost his balance. Somehow Yuki had backed him up to the balcony. Kyou flinched as a punch grazed his cheek and a heel slid past the other.

"What happened to your confidence," Yuki growled, "It's dangerous to let me move you wherever I want." Yuki lunged towards Kyou, his face only inches away. "Honda-san is as good as mine." Yuki threw a punch to Kyou's ribs.

Kyou's eyes grew large. He could feel the air pushed from his lungs. His head began to swell and he lost his balance. He closed his eyes and fell backwards. _Tohru… I'm sorry… _He could see her face clearly as the air swept past him.

"Kyou!" Another voice was filling his head now. A voice he loathed. "Kyou, wake up!" This voice… it is… full of fear… but… why?

"What's happening?" Another familiar voice. "Kyou! Sensei! We need help!"

Kyou twitched. Along with these two panicked voices he could hear the pained sobs of a female. He forced his eyes opened. _Why am I doing this? If I keep my eyes open, I'll die soon. I know it… It'd be better to never open my eyes again than to see her in pain…_ His eyes began to focus. He looked up at a silvery haired boy whose hand was held tight around his wrist. _Yuki…?_

"Kyou! Come on, snap out of it!" Yuki's arm was shaking. Haru had gone downstairs to try and cushion the fall, should he lose his grip on the unconscious Kyou. Yuki squeezed his eyes shut. He could feel tears burning at them. "It wasn't supposed to be this way… It isn't worth it…" A suddenly pressure on his wrist made his eyes fly open. He looked down. Kyou was smiling up at him, his hand clutched around Yuki's wrist.

"Don't you know cats always land on their feet?" Kyou's words were short and forced as he attempted to regain his breath. Kyou flinched at a pain in his chest as he attempted to gain footing on the side of the house. He failed and slipped a bit down on Yuki's grip. "It's only the second story…" Kyou huffed, "Let's me fall."

"Kyou!" Tohru suddenly appeared over the edge of the balcony. She threw a hand down for him. "I can't let you fall. Not off this balcony, and not into Akito's grasp." She smiled at him. "My heart… belongs to you… forever."

Yuki frowned and shut his eyes. He placed his other hand on Kyou's wrist and tried to pull. "I didn't lose..." Yuki mumbled. He pulled harder, but Kyou's grip had loosened. He opened his eyes and looked down. Kyou's grip hadn't loosened, he was no longer there. "Eh?"

Kyou looked up at the balcony, holding his chest. "I'm… I'm going for… "I'm going for a walk…" Haru walked over to help Kyou to his feet, but Kyou shrugged him off.

"Kyou! You might have a broken bone!" Yuki yelled.

Kyou simply waved a hand and stumbled towards the woods.

"Kyou…" Tohru whispered. "Why…?"

-

_I can't keep avoiding this… _Kyou stumbled forward and caught himself on a tree. He gasped. _Why can't I just tell her… _He fell forward his chin landing next to the tree's trunk. He looked up to see claw marks in the bark. Kyou flinched and drug himself forward.

"Do you always go wandering around in the woods on a school night?" Shinji's voice echoed through the trees.

"Sh… Shinji?" Kyou pulled himself to his feet.

Shinji stepped forward from the darkness. "It was chaotic in the house while you were takin' a leisurely hang out the window." He pulled Kyou's arm around his shoulder and looked down at the tree. "You guys got bears around here or something? There's a giant claw mark in a rock a ways out, too."

"No… not bears," Kyou closed his eyes and leaned against Shinji, "Bears can't compare to this monster…" Shinji walked Kyou to the clearing where the large, clawed rock sat. He set Kyou down next to it and sat down beside him. "Thank you…" Kyou was slowly regaining his normal breathing. He leaned against Shinji.

"I heard what she said…" Shinji dropped a hand on Kyou's head. "How's one supposed to study after something like that, ne?"

"You…" Kyou closed his eyes, "You must think I'm weak…"

"Nah," Shinji smiled, "In fact, I think I like you even more now. I finally got to see the side of Kyou that you were hiding."

"Where is your mother, really?" Kyou shifted in a failed attempt to lessen the pain in his chest.

"Heh… Shoulda known you would figure it out sooner or later…" Shinji dropped a finger to the ground and began scribbling in the dirt. "She's in a hospital in England. She's always had an illness, but recently it got sorta bad. Even worse, soon as she left, the last check bounced for the rent. I got evicted, but there ain't anyone to stay with. I don't want mom knowing, though. That's the last thing she needs to hear… that I'm homeless…" Shinji drew a cat in the dirt. Kyou watched. "I doubt she'll be coming back anyways…" Shinji looked down at Kyou. He had fallen asleep. "Ara… How am I supposed to get you back now…" He looked over Kyou's face. "Tohru's lucky, huh…" Shinji looked back up at the sky and suddenly heard poof as he felt Kyou's weight disappear from his shoulder. He looked down. "Wha…? A cat lay in Kyou's clothes.


	8. Discover

Heeeeey! An update already! This chapter confuses me though. I don't know if I love it or can't stand it. It seems to me that… well… my writing sucks. XD I bet you readers are like, "This started out so great and now it just… sucks…" I have a bunch of cool ideas in my head, but I can't seem to bring any of them to life the same way that I see them in my mind. Is there some job that you just tell people what you think and they do the work? That'd be the perfect job for me. This chapter is sooooo corny. I can't stand romances… o.O

So I went to MegaCon today. It was fun. No Otakon, but still, it way fun. My video was in the contest! I'm trying to figure out what format they had the videos set up in, but I believe I was a runner up. It was funny that a bishonen video got cheers from males and females. The number one cheered thing was Gravitation, two would be out own little Kyou-kun, three would be Auron (cheers from both guys are girls), four is Tasuki and Chichiri, and five would be Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. James from Pokemon got "ewwww" and Brock at the very end got an entire room of laughs.

Heeeeee!

Don't get mad at me for where I ended this chapter and how short it is. I just felt it was the perfect place to stop.

And to get rid of the confusion, Shinji only saw Kyou in his cute cat form. However, wouldn't you be a bit confused if your best friend just pooffed into a fluffy wuffy orange kitty cat? Maybe that's just me… But! I now have an idea… What would Shinji do if he saw Kyou's true form? Kyou's going to end up meeting with Akito again in a few chapters… maybe Shin-Shin will get a surprise… MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHHAHAHHA!

Dot dot dot…

I'm not stalling for time…

I'm also not trying to make the chapter look longer than it really is…

Seriously…

Pi…

Yeah that's right…

Pi…

Now time for the cheese!

-

_Lost Answers: Discover_

_-_

"Th… This is some kinda trick, right?" Shinji looked around then back down at the orange cat. "Come on, Nekozuki… Get out here." He moved his finger towards the cat when he saw its chest heaving. It seemed to be in pain. He placed a hand on the cat's head and bit his lip. "This is like it belongs in some anime or something…" He couldn't tell if he should be nervous, worried, happy or scared. "Well, Kyou, if you're out there watching me… I'm not falling for it. I'm just gonna take the cat with me back to the house and I'm stealin' your clothes, too. Yeah, how about that?" He waited, but there was no response. He picked up the cat and twitched.

Just as Shinji began walking, he felt the cat stir. He looked down at it in time for a large cloud of orange smoke to enshroud them both. "GAH!" He fell backwards, taking the cat with him. As the smoke cleared he blinked.

"GAH!" Kyou screamed as he jumped backwards off Shinji. He scurried around gathering the clothes Shinji had dropped. "GAH!" He screamed again as a pain ran through his chest.

"….the….hell…?" Shinji raised an eyebrow at the naked Kyou.

"Ku…so…" Kyou pulled on his bracelet and pants and sighed. "I let my guard down… I kept telling myself I wasn't that weak…"

"What… the…?" Shinji pulled himself backwards a few feet. "What… are you…?"

"Sh… Shinji…" Kyou frowned. "I… You weren't supposed to…" He paused and remembered his deal with Akito. He no longer had anything to lose…

Shinji stumbled to his feet and walked towards Kyou. He poked at his soft, orange hair. "This… has to be some kinda nightmare…"

Kyou growled. He threw a fist to Shinji's stomach. Shinji keeled over. "Since you felt that, you must realize this isn't a dream."

Shinji groaned. "Well… maybe I'm stuck in your dream… or… something… You know… Matrix-like… This is like all a dream and stuff, ya know?"

"Dumbass…" Kyou sighed. "Listen… You're my best friend and I currently have nothing to lose. So, I may as well tell you the entire crap…" Kyou mumbled and Shinji sat across from him, still in denial that he wasn't dreaming.

-

"I'm sure that Kyou-kun's fine." Shigure yawned. "Why don't you guys study? I'm sure Shi-chan is on his way home with Kyou right now." Shigure looked back and forth between Tohru and Yuki. He sighed. "Ha-kun, I'm sorry you had to drop by at such a hectic time. Why don't you stay the night?"

"Of course, sensei. I don't remember where I was originally headed anyways." Haru flipped through Kyou's notebook.

"Even if you did remember, you'd never make it there anyways." The voice coming from the doorway startled Tohru and Yuki.

"Kyou!" Tohru and Yuki yelled in unison and ran towards him. Yuki lunged forward to catch him when he let go of the doorframe and stumbled.

"Kuso nezumi…" Kyou mumbled and looked at Tohru. He smiled. "I… have to talk to you on the roof."

"Kyou-kun, I don't think you should be playing monkey when you're hurt. Ha-san is going to check you out in a couple minutes when he gets back." Shigure seemed un-phased by Kyou's entrance.

"Then let's go to my room" Kyou stumbled forward and fell to the floor.

"Kyou!" Tohru knelt beside him.

"It's okay, Tohru-hime," Shinji smirked from the doorway, "I went to the trouble of delivering the prince, the least I could do is help him upstairs." He put a hand on Kyou's waist and pulled him up. The two smiled at each other and started up the stairs.

"Maybe I should come, too." Yuki started towards the stairs. He suddenly felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned to see Haru clinging to him.

"Yuki. Let's study." Haru tugged on his sleeve again. "You graduating in more important than picking a fight with Kyou."

"Ha-kun's right." Shigure smirked and gazed at the ceiling. "Sometimes you just have to let things go, no matter how much you want to hold on."

"Very poetic, Sensei!" Shinji popped up behind him.

"Well, I am an author!" Shigure pulled out smutty romance novels. "Free samples!"

"Hail Sensei!" Shinji grabbed the books and cackled.

"When did Harahoku get back…" Haru twitched.

"Frightening how well they get along…" Yuki twitched.

-

Kyou kept a hand on his ribs and he settled next to Tohru. "Shinji knows." He said it lightly.

"Knows…?" Tohru blinked. "Ah! You mean about…?"

"I transformed in front of him… accidentally." Kyou sighed. "But, I figured that I don't have much to lose now. I lost the battle. I may as well let my best friend know why the family is so damn screwed up."

"Kyou-kun…" Tohru frowned.

"But there is one thing that will kill me sooner if I don't let it out. I thought it would be better if I didn't do anything about it. I figured it would be painful to say this just to lose it. Telling Shinji about the curse… It gave me the courage to say what I need to say…" Kyou locked eyes with Tohru. "There's something that I can't be caged up without letting out." He put his hands on Tohru's shoulders. He moved towards her and closed his eyes.

Tohru could feel him tremble as he moved closer. She closed her eyes as well and leaned forward. She felt a warmth rush to her cheeks as Kyou placed his lips to hers.

"I love you…" Kyou leaned back a bit and whispered. "I have since that time… so long ago…"

"I love you, too… And I know that you were my first and only love…" Tohru could feel tears stream down her cheeks. "And I can't lose you… It would hurt more than losing okaa-san…"

"I'll find a way…" The moon went behind the clouds. "I'll find a way to stay with you…"


	9. To Harahoku Shinji san

Rather long chapter this time around. A lot of significant stuff happens. Happy things, sad things, funny things. While I was sitting in front of my computer, thinking of what to type, I drew a picture of Shinji and Kyou. It's more like a rough sketch, but still… When I finished, I realized… this was a very… unique pose… It's so late at night! I cannot be blamed…

So… stuff happens in this chapter… lots… of… stuff… That's why it's so long. Some people may like it, others may hate it. Once again, it leaves off on something I found rather cute. And for anybody who doesn't know, niichan means brother. Since the chapter is so long, my little pointless foreword isn't going to be nearly as long.

First off, however, I don't know what Japanese schools are like. I didn't want to take what little knowledge I had only to make it be completely screwed up. I decided that, since this is my story, I am going to make it be whatever I want. I made the school and the test the way I felt would work best for the story. If you don't like it, deal! MWAHAHAHHAHAHAHH!

-

_Fruits Basket: To Harahoku Shinji-san_

_-_

"Geeeeeze…." Shinji moaned. He rubbed his eyes and yawned as Tohru set a cup of tea in front of him. "We had to study all night because of Kyon…"

"Ah…" Tohru blushed. "Gomen, ne Shinji-san… I'm afraid I kept Kyou upstairs for so long…"

"Ah, but it is much more becoming to blame the prince." Shinji smirked. "I could never blame Tohru-hime."

"But still…" Tohru smiled as Yuki came down the steps, clung to by Haru. "Good morning Hatsuharu-san. Yuki-kun said he would be the only one to wake you without turning you black."

"My day has been made… The first face I saw this morning was Yuki's." Haru flopped down next to Shinji.

"Something I've wanted to ask you… Your hair…" Shinji looked at Haru. "It's so damn cool! Is it natural?"

"Heh heh." Haru smirked. "From head to toe, all natural."

"That shouldn't be something you smile when saying…" Yuki rubbed his eyes. "Where is that baka neko…"

"Kyon was looking sorta… beat…" Shinji frowned. "I told him to get at least a few hours of sleep. He really shouldn't be going to school so soon with two broken ribs, but he's stubborn as an ox…"

"Or stupid as a cat…" Yuki growled as he sat across from Shinji and Haru.

"Actually, cats are rather intelligent. True, they aren't as much so as dolphins and humans, but they are more intelligent than, let's say, rats…" Shinji smiled and took a sip of his tea.

"So full of energy after a long night of studying, ne, Shinji-chan?" Shigure yawned as he walked into the room.

"Up all night writing an award winning smut novel, sensei?" Shinji waved.

"Shin-chan is harsh!" Shigure pouted.

Yuki glared across the table at Shinji. He quickly stood up and began to walk towards the door. "I have some things I have to take care of at school. I'm leaving now."

"Are you sure you don't want breakfast first, Yuki-kun?" Tohru stepped forward.

"You have enough selfish mouths to feed today, Honda-san." Yuki shoved on his shoes and walked out the door.

"At least say good-bye, Yuki-kun." Shigure yelled after him. "Teenagers…"

"So, Shinji-san," Tohru set out breakfast and sat down, "are you going to be staying with your mother from today on?"

"Oh…" Shinji poked at the food. "Yeah… yeah I guess I am…" He could feel his eyes begin to sting. "Excuse me, I'm going to wake up Kyon." Shinji jumped up and dashed towards the stairs.

"Ano…" Tohru blinked.

"It seems somebody's at the door." Shigure announced. Just as he did, there was a knock. "Tohru-kun, could you?"

"Ah… hai…" Tohru walked towards the door and opened it. There stood a uniform clad man.

"Hello! I was told his was Harahoku Shinji-san's current place of residence." The man tipped his hat and smiled.

"Yes, he's staying here." Tohru blinked.

"Well, I have an urgent telegram for one Harahoku Shinji-san. Could you stamp for it?" The man held out a paper.

"Ah… yes… okay…" Tohru picked up the Sohma stamp from beside the door and pressed down on the paper.

"Thank you! Now remember, this is urgent! It must be read immediately. Have a nice day!" The man walked off and Tohru walked back into the house.

"It's a telegram for Shinji-san. Should I go get him?"

"No, no, see, those telegram people always say it's urgent, it's part of their job, you know!" Shigure jumped up. "We should just read it right now and then decide whether it's really worth getting him all worked up over or not."

"That's against the law…" Haru mumbled. "But Sensei just can't be surprised."

"I… I don't know…" Tohru stammered.

"Yoink!" Shigure grabbed the telegram and jumped back to his seat.

"Sh-Shigure-san!" Tohru stumbled backwards and fell to the floor. "We should really wait for Shinji-san…"

It was too late. Shigure already had the envelope open and was reading out loud. "_Harahoku Shinji-san, this is an urgent message from the London Medical Institute's Special Disease Ward. Your parent/guardian, Harahoku Isis-san, was residing in this institute for treatment. We regretfully inform you that, at 13:05, patient Harahoku Isis flat lined. Resuscitation failed. Her belongings have been shipped to her last listed Japanese address. Her corpse shall be shipped to the designated location once the date for the funeral has been confirmed. We are sorry for your loss._" Shigure dropped the paper.

"That explains the way he reacted to your question. He must have known she wasn't coming back." Haru poked at his meal.

"We… have to tell him." Tohru started towards the stairs.

"Uh… wait just a second, Tohru-kun." Shigure waved after her. "Perhaps telling him only a few hours before the tests isn't a good idea. It's stressful enough as is; we don't need to add this to his burden."

"But…" Tohru frowned.

"Sensei is right. I'm sure his mother would prefer that her son only had the test on his mind. Besides…" Haru stopped as Kyou started down the stairs.

"So, today's the big day, ne Kyou-chan?" Shigure grabbed the paper and stuffed it down his shirt.

"Yeah… What are you up to?" Kyou stumbled down the last step and flinched as pain shot through his chest.

"Nothing, nothing. Uh… Kyou-kun, what is Shin-chan doing after school?"

"Coming over here for, hopefully, a victory party…" Kyou narrowed his eyes. "Why…?"

"Such a cold stare from Kyou-chan!" Shigure pouted.

"He may be able to get up fine, but that doesn't mean he isn't grumpy!" Shinji popped out from behind Shigure.

"Ah… Hello there Shin-chan!"

"Hello there Sensei!" Shinji smiled. "Well, looks like it's time to leave. Hatsuharu-san doesn't have classes does he?"

Haru held up one finger and stood. "One class, first thing."

"Well, how about if we walk to class together. I walk fast and wouldn't want to leave Kyon behind." Shinji glanced at Tohru. "But, since we can't leave him to walk by himself, would Tohru-hime kindly escort him?"

"Ah… hai…" Tohru blushed.

"Well then, let's start off, Hatsu!" Shinji grabbed Haru's arm and pulled him out the door. "Ittekimasu!"

"Itterasshai!" Shigure waved. "And to you two."

"Hai. Ittekimasu, Shigure-san." Tohru bowed and started out. Kyou followed.

As they moved out of view of the house, Tohru looked at the sky. "A beautiful day… It's almost as though the clouds of studying have cleared to reveal our prize!"

"A test is a damn crap prize." Kyou mumbled.

"Ah… heh…" Tohru smiled. "My okaa-san used to say that, just because something doesn't look pleasant on the surface, it may be a wonderful thing on the inside. So this test may look unpleasant, but on the inside it is our ticket to exiting school."

"Your mother…" Kyou stopped walking. "She… gave me kind words before as well…"

"Huh?" Tohru looked up at Kyou.

Kyou blinked. "Uh… well…" Kyou bent down and kissed Tohru. He then looked up at the sky and blushed. "Yeah, I guess it is a nice day out." He started walking again.

"Ye… yeah…" Tohru followed after and grabbed Kyou's hand.

-

"Harahoku." Haru stopped and Shinji bumped into his back.

"Uh… sorry… What is it?"

"I know what you've been up to with Kyou and Honda-san. And I know that you are doing it to replace something you are missing in your life." Haru faced him. "I used to do the same thing with Yuki and Honda-san. However, I realized that, if I succeeded, I would just be the reason that they both have pain in the future. That was something I couldn't bear to see, even if I was happy with my success for a short while. It's a curse our family bears. We cannot be happy with someone else. We always get hurt. You'll just do the same to Kyou. You _will _hurt him." Haru turned and began walking again. Shinji simply stood still and stared after him.

-

"Shigure. I'm glad you could spare time out of your schedule to come." Akito let one side of his kimono slip down. He stared at Shigure and Hatori from behind dark locks of hair. "Of course, you had no choice, did you?" He chuckled and stepped forward. "It's almost time… for graduation… I'm going to go, you know… To show my support… and to collect my prize…"

"What?" Shigure frowned as Akito walked closer to him.

"Oh… didn't you know…? I made a deal with that bakamono… Would you… like to hear about it…?" Akito smirked and moved his mouth near Shigure's ear. As he whispered, Shigure's eyes widened.

-

"The school seems to bustling, even today!" Tohru smiled. She and Kyou had just come into view of the school.

"Tohru…" Kyou looked down at her.

"Hai?" Tohru smiled.

"Before we get into school… I want to wish you good luck."

"Ah…? Thank you. Good luck to you, too." Tohru blushed as Kyou leaned down and gave her another kiss.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAT?" A group of female voices startled both Kyou and Tohru. "W-E L-O-V-E WE LOVE… KYONIE!" The girls cheered.

"What's this? Honda Tohru, the same girl to give our sister group trouble over Yuki-kun is now stepping in on _our _Kyou-kun!" One girl growled.

"Preposterous!" One girl squeaked.  
"Our pure and innocent Kyou-kun has been won over by witchcraft!" Another girl scoffed.

"Look! He's also injured! Maybe she made him like her by force!" Another screamed.

"Say it isn't so! Oh, Kyou-kun!" Another girl cried and leapt towards him.

"Kuso!" Kyou jumped backwards, sending the girl into a tree. "What the hell is this?"

"Ano… aren't most of you in Yuki-kun's fan club?" Tohru stammered as Kyou grabbed her hand.

"Correction, were!" One of the girls stepped forward. "But we realized that we'd rather worship a man who was beautiful and yet still looked like a man."

"Hai!" The other girls cried in unison. The girl who had hit the tree stumbled up to join them.

"I don't have time for this…" Kyou mumbled and pulled Tohru towards the school.

"We love you Kyou-kun!" The girl started to run after but ran into two other girls instead. They fell backwards and looked up, terrified by what they saw.

"You girls just don't give up, do you?" Uotani Arisa smirked and cracked her knuckles.

"Yes… it appears my past vibe attacks have not stopped this sort of behavior…" Hanajima Saki said emotionlessly.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The girls screamed.

-

"If you fail this test, you will not be able to retake it. Your grade will be sent to your place of residency within a month. If your place of residency has changed, please tell the main office immediately after taking the test. The staff will be in for the entire day, but not tomorrow. There are four parts to this test. First part, is Japanese History, second is English, followed by math, and the final part is sciences. Remember, this test is a cumulative of all your years of high school." The teacher scowled as the class groaned. "If you didn't want a test like this, you shouldn't have come to such a high class school. Besides, if you pass this with flying colors, the college entrance exams should be cake. Now, shut up and begin."

One last groan rang out as the students began the exam. Tohru looked over at Kyou then at Yuki. She sighed and began.

-

"Ah! Doesn't it feel great to be free?" Uotani stretched. "So, Hanajima, did you actually pass this one the first time around?"

"That… is a mystery…" Hanajima smiled mischieviously. "A apologize, Tohru-kun. I must go home first before the party."

"I… think I'm in love…" Haru stared at Hanajima as she began to walk away. "Such… disinterest in everything…"

"Hai, hai…" Yuki mumbled. "You really didn't have to wait the entire time for us."

"Oh…" Uotani's gaze went past the group and to the school gate.

"What's wrong, Uo-chan?" Tohru blinked.

"N… nothing… Sorry Tohru… I have a prior engagement. I'll come to the prince's house when I'm done." Uotani walked past them towards the gate. The group turned to watch as she began talking to someone out of view. Haru caught a glimpse of the person as the two walked off.

"Kureno?" He spoke quietly. Only Yuki heard him and they suddenly looked at each other.

"Kyou!" Tohru waved her arms over her head. "Shinji-san!"

"What's this goin' on? A party on school grounds? And I wasn't invited…" Shinji pouted.

"We were getting his addressed changed. His mom is going to be gone for a while…" Kyou was still clutching at his chest.

"Ah…" Tohru and Yuki looked at each other. "I'm sure… Shigure-san would be glad to have him stay.

"You shouldn't be walking around." Yuki glared at Kyou. "Let's go home now."

"Oh, ho!" Shinji bounced over to Yuki. "What's this? Is Yuki _worried _about my little Kyon? Sugoi!"

Yuki's eye twitched and he turned away. "I just don't want any more stress than I already have with this guy."

"Harsh." Shinji blinked.

"Tohru!" Momiji jumped from the gate to where they stood in two bounds. "Tohru! Ha'ri is going to drive everybody home!"

"Ah! Momiji-kun! That's wonderful!" Tohru smiled.

"Hai, hai! I'm sitting next to Tohru!" Momiji grabbed her hand and pulled Tohru to the gate.

"Whatever that kid is on, I want some…" Shinji blinked as Kyou, Yuki, and Haru started towards the car. "OIIIIIII! KYON!" He ran after.

-

"We're home!" Tohru pulled off her shoes as quickly as she could as Momiji pulled on her arm. "Shi-chan! We're home!"

"Ah… Momitchi… So much for a quiet evening." Shigure smiled. Oh… Shin-chan, can I see you and Kyou for a minute?"

"Haaaai Sensei!" Shinji grabbed Kyou's arm as he walked in the door and pulled.

"YAH!" Kyou tripped over the shoes and was half-drug after Shinji.

"You don't think… he's telling them now… do you?" Yuki whispered to Tohru.

"I… don't know…" Tohru shook her head.

-

"This may seem like a most terrible time, but, there's something important I have to discuss with you two." Shigure sat across from them at the table in his study.

"Sensei seems serious…" Shinji frowned.

"I, too, can become one of the serious type when need be." Shigure sighed. "However, this is not an issue I can joke over…"

"Shigure…" Kyou looked over at Shinji. A look of fear was covering Shinji's face.

Shinji quickly jumped up. "Please! I have no place else to go, please don't kick me out! Please! I'll do anything!"

"N-no, it isn't that." Shigure blinked. "In fact, I was going to offer our house to you for as long as you needed… but… we got a telegram from England today."

Shinji sat back down. "Is this… about my mother?"

Shigure frowned and nodded. "I'm sorry, Shinji." He set the telegram in front of Shinji and nodded to Kyou. "I have something I have to do…" He stood up and left the room.

Kyou looked at Shinji. He couldn't see his friend's face, but he could see his body shaking. "Shinji… I…" He stopped. He could hear a faint sound. Shinji was laughing.

Shinji turned his face to Kyou and smiled. Tears were streaming down his face as he laughed. "I knew this would happen, but still… Why am I surprised? And… why am I laughing? The only person left in my life is gone and…" He placed a hand to his face. He could feel the tears drip down his fingers.

"No…" Kyou leaned forward. He put his arms around Shinji. "Not everybody is gone… I'm still here… To me… you've been like a brother…" He pulled Shinji closer and tightened his grip.

Shinji's sobs were overtaking his laughing now. He pulled his arms around Kyou and tightened his grip on his shirt. "Thank you… Kyon-niichan"


	10. Okaeri Nasai Welcome Home

Sorry! Sorry it took so long! There's a character in this chapter that shall state my apology! ;; Class has been busy… I hope some people have been waiting for this… otherwise this may be a wasted effort. If you have any questions about the story or about Shinji, feel free to e-mail me at but you might wanna put something about the story in the subject… My junk mail filter is picky! waits at her empty mailbox for fan letters pouts ;; Well, I've got my picture of Kyou and Shinji done. It's now a matter of getting it scanned. Which I will probably do over Spring Break. Enjoy this chapter! It was much work! I like how Hatori and Kyou are kinda outside the main part of the chapter. You'll see their conversation in the next chapter. I think the next chapter is going to be all about what they were doing at the same time the rest of this stuff is going on. Maybe half that and half the party. Or maybe all that and the party is the next chapter. If I do it that way, I'll post the chapter quickly after the next one.

Enjoy! Please don't forget me… ;;

-

_Lost Answers_: _Okaeri Nasai… Welcome Home_

_-_

"So! It has been decided that from this time on we will have a new member of our dysfunctional little family!" Shigure pointed at Shinji. "Everybody be nice to your new brother."

"Thank you, sensei." Shinji smiled and bowed. "I pardon the intrusion. Tohru-hime, I will help you with your household work in return."

"Ah… you don't have to do that." Tohru blushed.

"No, no! I insist. A princess should not have to do such horrid work anyways."

Shinji draped an arm around Kyou. "I think by now the prince should have swept the princess away from this, but what can you do when the prince in a moron."

"OI!" Kyou hissed. "It's enough having that damn Yuki throwing insults, now I have to have you, too?"

"Wow, catty aren't you?" Shinji smirked. "Well, for that, you have to help me bring all my stuff here from storage."

"Ah! Please allow me to help as well!" Tohru stepped forward. "You must have a lot. It is best to get everything in a few trips."

"Well, then, I'll accept if it is what Hime-sama feels is best." Shinji stepped towards the door and put on his shoes.

"Kyou shouldn't lift anything." Shinji squeaked and jumped backwards. His back hit the floor and he looked up. Hatori stood over him carrying a black bag. "Instead, I brought some others to help you."

"Um… Heh… Thanks…" Shinji pulled himself to his feet and smiled.

"Onee-chan…" Kisa ran from behind Hatori towards Tohru.

"So… cuuuuuuuute!" Shinji jumped forward and knelt down in front of Kisa. "I would be honored to have you help. I'm Harahoku Shinji. Shinji."

"I… am Sohma… Kisa… I… I want to… help Onee-chan and…" Kisa clutched at Tohru's dress.

"Hai. Shinji-san and I would love your help, Kisa-san." Tohru smiled.

"Sa-chan, Shinji-kun is honorary family now. You don't have to be afraid." Shigure smiled. "Have fun, all of you. Ha-san is going to take care of Kyou-kun."

"Kuso…" Kyou growled and plopped down on the floor. He watched the group walk off and sighed.

"Kyou." Hatori opened his bag. "Akito is…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know…" Kyou smiled sadly. "My cage is ready…"

-

"Shinji-san doesn't have as many boxes as I suspected…" Tohru nervously laughed as Kisa, Shinji, Haru, Momiji, and herself each grabbed a single box.

"I never was one for material things. No collections or anything… guess it turned out to be a good thing." Shinji smiled. "I appreciate everyone's help…"

"From now on, you're one of us, just like Tohru!" Momiji smiled.

"Although I don't know why you'd want to be…" Haru sighed.

"Ah, now don't scare Shi'ji!" Momiji balanced the box on his head and grabbed Shinji's arm. "We really aren't scary! Except Ha'ri, of course!" Momiji laughed.

"A family again. That'll be interesting." Shinji smiled and started off, Momiji still clinging to his arm.

-

"Welcome home, Shi-kun." Shigure smiled.

"I'm… home…" Shinji set his box in the doorway.

"We're all home." Tohru smiled and set her box on Shinji's.

"A few more members of the family came over. When I told them there was going to be a party here, they were dying to come. Also, they'd love to meet the newest member of the clan." Shigure patted Shinji's head and walked off.

"I wonder who is here now…" Haru frowned.

"Ah! The party! I should start cooking. Uo-chan and Hana-chan will be here soon." Tohru ran towards the kitchen.

"Shi'ji! Let's go see whose here, okay?" Momiji pulled his arm. "If you're worried about Kyou, I bet Ha'ri just told him to rest. Come on!"

"Okay, okay!" Shinji smiled and allowed himself to be pulled.

As the two reached the door to the sitting room, a loud crash rang out.

"GOMEN NASAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAI!" Shinji jumped backwards as a yell came from the room.

"THE HELL?" Shinji pulled himself up. He threw open the door. Two brown haired people were standing in the middle of the room, looking down at a broken vase. "Are… are you ladies okay?"

"Ah! You must be Harahoku Shinji-san!" One of the people with lighter brown hair ran forward. A lavender kimono adorning a slim figure. "Gomen nasai… I must have startled you… I don't know how I can ever live that down! GOMEN NASAI!"

"Shi'ji, this is Sohma Ritsu." Momiji pulled on the startled Shinji's arm.

"Ah…" Shinji blushed. "Finally I meet one of the beautiful Sohma ladies." Shinji smiled.

"Acctually, I'm the beautiful Sohma lady." The dark brown haired girl stepped forward. "Sohma Kagura. Ri-chan is just a weirdo with a dress fetish

"GOMEN NASAI! I bring shame to this family no matter what I do! GOMEN NASAI! Once again I have ruined the family by wearing such an outfit! GOMEN NASAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAI!"  
"Pi!" Shigure's index finger pressed against Ritsu's waist. Ritsu fell to the ground. "Ah, the classic first meeting of Ri-chan. Kagura-chan doesn't seem too lively tonight."

"So… Ritsu-sama… is…?" Shinji's eye twitched. "I… have betrayed myself! Kyon-Kyon! Will you ever forgive me!"

Kagura frowned and pushed past the group. "I'm going to help in the kitchen."

"Did… I say something…?" Shinji frowned.

"GOMEN NASAI! IT IS MY FAULT THAT YOU OFFENDED HER! I SHOULDN'T BE BREATHING THE SAME AIR AS YOU!" Ritsu screamed from the floor.

"It's nothing to worry about Shi-kun…" Shigure smiled. "Kagura just had been in love with Kyou-kun for a long time and a while ago she discovered how he felt."

"Oh…" Shinji sighed.

-

"I'll help you…" Kagura walked slowly up to Tohru.

"Ah! Kagura-san! I heard Richan-san, but I didn't know you were here." Tohru smiled.

"I can see why he feels this way…" Kagura wiped tears from her eyes.

"Huh?" Tohru blinked.

"I've come to help you cook."

"Ah… hai…"

Kagura picked up a knife and stared at it. "I understand why he feels this way… but in the end you'll be hurt just the same."

"Huh?" Tohru tilted her head to the side. "OH NO!"

"What?" Kagura looked up.

"That pot is boiling over!" Tohru dashed across the kitchen in a panic. Kagura watched her and smiled.

"Even if it hurts in the end… The time spent together is worth it…"

"Did you say something, Kagura-san?" Tohru turned to her.

"Oh! Uh… no, nothing." Kagura smiled and shook her head. Tohru turned back to the stove.


	11. Because I Have to Say Goodbye

A long time coming! Welcome back to _Lost Answers_! I spent so much time doing other things as well as working on my Yami no Matusei fan fic, _Only the Moonlight Knows_, that I left this poor story in the dust. However, I think I'm back on track and this story will be back in the woodwork.

I ended up rereading all of what I had written so far. I reformatted some errors from the first ten chapters and reposted the entire story. Some of the errors were rather funny. There are two that I thought I'd mention here.

First: This one isn't so large but, the group was studying math problems yet the teacher overseeing the test didn't mention there being a test section. Although they could have been studying a math related science question, I ended up adding math to the list.

Second: Now this one is a bad one. As the group gathers outside the school for the party, Uo-chan leaves with Kureno. This leaves the group as being Kyou, Tohru, Shinji, Yuki, Haru, Momiji, Hanajima, and Hatori when he comes in the car. However, when you get to the house you only see dialog of Kyou, Tohru, Shinji, and Yuki. Later, Hatori arrives with Momiji, Haru, and Kisa. Holy crap. I ended up taking out Momiji's arrival at the house as well as Haru's. Now only Kisa and Hatori show up. Just look at it as though Hatori went to Kisa's house and that's why he wasn't there.

I can't believe I made so many mistakes in this story. I apologize to anybody who had to read it. It should all be fixed now, as well as formatting problems by adding a – between gaps in time.

Okay, now that I got that out of the way, I apologize for the late continuing. Please enjoy _Lost Answers_!

-

_Lost Answers: Because I Have to Say Goodbye_

_-_

Tohru, Kyou, Shigure, Yuki, Haru, Kisa, Momiji, Kagura, Ritsu, Hatori, Shinji, Uotani, and Hanajime all sat around the small table quietly eating.

"So… uh…" Shinji was getting nervous about the quiet. He looked next to him at Kyou. "This food is great."

"Thank you! Kagura-san helped me." Tohru smiled.

Shinji looked at the person sitting across from him. "You're… Hanajima-san?" Shinji had noticed she had been watching him since she arrived. "Uh… so… how long have you been friends with Tohru-hime?"

"I have known Tohru-kun since middle school… after a… disturbance caused me to transfere." Hanajima slowly continued to eat.

"Yes… Yes I do believe this is love…" Haru, who had been seated between Hanajima and Yuki, stared at Hamajima.

"Tohru…" Kyou began quietly. When Tohru turned to him, he noticed Yuki was staring at him. "N… nevermind…"

Yuki stared blankly at Kyou. "Pardon me, but I no longer feel hungry." Yuki stood and walked quickly from the room.

"Ah, to be young again." Shigure smirked.

"Ah… uh… Perhaps I should go see what's wrong with Yuki-kun?" Tohru began to stand but, Kyou rose and started out the room. "K… Kyou…" The remainder of the meal was carried out in complete silence.

-

"What the hell are you doing?" Kyou growled. Yuki was leaning against the rail of his balcony. "For some stupid reason Tohru is worried about you."

"What I do is my business, baka neko. Now, get out of my room." Yuki mumbled.

"Heh. I get it. You're jealous because the prince didn't get the princess." Kyou smirked.

"That's not it at all. I want Honda-san to be happy and, apparently, you don't." Yuki turned, his face twisted in anger. "Do you really think Akito is going to let you live happily ever after? He's going to hurt Honda-san."

Kyou stopped. He could feel his heart sink. He had completely forgotten about Akito.

"Baka neko." Yuki turned back to the balcony. "Congratulations on being the one to hurt Honda-san more than anybody."

-

"Harahoku Shinji is your name, correct?" Hanajima had ignored the glossy eyed Haru who was still following her. She walked up to Shinji. "You carry the same murky vibes as members of the Sohma family. I feel I must warn you that your own darkness will swallow you."

"Vibes?" Shinji frowned. "Is that like, an aura? I can understand if I have a dark aura right now. I'm doing some pretty terrible things. Hatsuharu-san told me that if I continue doing what I'm doing, I'll just hurt the people I'm trying to help. However, I still can't stop helping."

"Then, I suppose I should warn you that if you cause Tohru-kun to cry, I will never forgive you." Hanajima left Shinji standing in the den alone.

"What a creepy girl…" Shinji whispered.

-

"Tohru…" Kyou walked into the kitchen. Tohru was cleaning off the plates from the party.

"Hai?" She turned and smiled.

"Can we talk? On the roof?" Kyou began to walk outside without waiting for an answer.

"It's okay, Tohru-kun." Kagura walked into the kitchen and smiled. "I'll take care of the dishes. Please talk to Kyou-kun."

"Ah… Then, I'll leave these to you." Tohru smiled and walked outside. Kagura watched sadly.

Kyou laid down on the roof and Tohru sat next to him. "I remembered something that happened to me when I was a kid. It was right after my mother died. I was walking around in town alone. My mother was dead and my father had abandoned me. Nobody would take in the cursed cat and so I was alone. I wandered for hours until I ran into a woman. She smiled sweetly down at me and asked if I was lost. I told her I had no place to go so I couldn't be lost. She asked if I would like to eat dinner at her house. I figured that, since there was no place for me to go, I may as well take her offer.

When we got to her house, there was a little girl my age there. The woman told me it was her daughter and that she had lost her father recently. She asked if I would play with her while she made dinner. I agreed and went to the girl's room. We were both quiet at first but, she smiled at me and said that she could tell I lost someone special, too. She said that I had the same face she had when her father died. I told her my mother died but, she wasn't anyone special. The girl smiled and said that, even if my mother didn't seem to love me, she obviously did. She said that there's no way a parent couldn't love their child. She said that sometimes parents do things that are strange but, it is just because they do not know how to show their love. She said that's what her mother always tells her.

At that moment, I felt something I never felt before. My young mind couldn't figure out what that feeling was but, I knew I wanted to feel it more. I wanted to always be near this girl. After dinner, the woman told me that there is someone I will meet that will become someone most important to me. She then asked me if I would want to marry her daughter. I said I would and she said that, when I grew up, if I turned into a strong man that could protect her daughter she would gladly let her marry me. I told her that I would become strong and I went back to the Sohma house.

When I returned to the house, I met Shishou. I agreed to live with him. I knew that, if I could open to people, I could become the type of man that the woman would let her daughter marry. However, I unfortunently heard that, when members of the jyuunishi fall in love, they tell Akito. So, although I was afraid, I told him. He got angry and ordered my memories to be erased. So, I forgot about that girl… until I somehow broke through that memory barrier." Kyou looked down at Tohru. She was staring back at him.

"Kyou… That… I remember Okaa-san telling me that she promised I'd be with the boy from that day. She told me that he was perfect for me… That he was someone who could protect me and love me… That boy… was you?" Tohru smiled.

"Could this be what they call fate?" Kyou smiled. "I guess your mom was right." He sat up and kissed Tohru. They sat together in the moonlight.

-

"Thank you for the meal, Tohru-kun! Nice to meet you, Harahoku-kun!" Kagura smiled and bowed. "Good… bye… Kyou-kun…" Although she was smiling, there was a pain in her eyes. She waved and walked from Shigure's house. The rest of the party had left shortly before.

"The time after parties is always so somber." Shinji yawned. "But, that Kagura-san was pretty hot. Hey, Kyon, mind if I ask your cousin out?"

"Go right ahead but, you don't know what she's like when she likes someone. You may just lose an arm and a couple of toes." Kyou stretched and yawned.

Shigure, Shinji, Tohru, Kyou, and Yuki sat in an awkward silence. Finally Shigure spoke up. "As a congratulations, how about we go to the Sohma beach house tomorrow?"

"Beach house? Isn't it a bit cold for that?" Shinji blinked.

"True, true… Well, how about the Sohma onsen?" Shigure smirked.

"Eh? Are you Sohma's really that rich?" Shinji gasped.

"Every family should have an onsen! Besides, it would be good for our poor, crippled Kyou to sit in the hot water." Shigure smiled. "It's been decided! Tomorrow is the onsen! We'll go for three days!"

"Why three?" Yuki questioned.

"I… have my reasons…" Shigure smirked.

"You have a chapter due in two days, don't you…?" Yuki mumbled.

"I thought being an editor would be a fun job, until I met you, sensei." Shinji joked.

"An editor is a warrior and that is certainly not Mit-chan." Shigure picked up the phone to call the onsen Okami.

"Maybe… the onsen is a good idea…" Kyou's agreement to the idea made everybody turn to him. "WHAT! Is it so strange that I don't mind going!"

"Keep your voice down, baka neko, nobody was accusing you of anything…" Yuki growled and stood. "I'm going to bed."

"Ah, goodnight Yuki-kun." Tohru smiled.

"Goodnight, Honda-san." Yuki smiled sadly and walked out.

"An onsen… what a romantic place for your honeymoon." Shinji sighed happily and looked at Tohru and Kyou.

"H… honeymoon…?" Kyou twitched. "A… anyways, if we go I may be able to figure some things out…" Kyou sighed. "I'm going to bed."

"Ah… so am I…" Tohru followed Kyou out of the room.

Shinji turned to Shigure as he hung up the phone. "Sensei… Hatsu said something I thought was a bit strange. I also heard it from Hatori-sensei and I was wondering if you could explain the reason to me."

Shigure sat across from Shinji. "I think I may know what this is about. Since you've become such a good friend to Kyou, perhaps I should let you in on some family secrets."

Shinji sat quietly as Shigure started to tell him about Kyou's bet with the family leader, Akito.


End file.
